Happy Jelsa week, Jelsa fans! My first multiple cross-over; hope you like it!
This story is pre-Sun Village.
Chapter 1: What Magic is Teal Again?
"WHAT?!"
Natsu covered his ears. "Ouch, Lucy, not so loud."
"Shut up, Natsu." Lucy turned her attention back to Mirajane. "Please tell me you're kidding, Mira."
"Sorry, Lucy," she said. "See for yourself."
For the first time in a very long time, the job-posting board was completely bare, with not so much as a scrap of a poster to be seen anywhere.
"But we've been so popular lately," Lucy whined.
"I know, and everyone's taking the opportunity to pay back their debts. The girls from Fairy Hills went off to do a whole bunch of jobs; they're trying to raise ninety million jewels-"
Lucy's jaw dropped. "Ninety million?"
"That's how much rent they owe. There's also-"
"Spare me the details," the Celestial Spirit Mage sighed weakly.
Most days the lack of jobs didn't faze her, but it didn't help her rent was due soon, or the fact other bills had to be aid soon. Not to mention she had to resort to eating instant noodles nowadays.
"Please, Mira; there has to be one job. One job?" Lucy looked like she was about to burst into tears.
"Ooo, Lucy, why don't we try an S-class job?" Natsu said, his eyes sparkling at the thought of an exciting and (naturally) dangerous job.
"No, we're not going through the hell you put us through last time!" she snapped.
Mirajane looked thoughtful. "There is one job…"
Lucy knew that tone. "But? Weird conditions? Too difficult? Extremely embarrassing?"
"We can handle anything!" Happy said proudly.
"Yeah," Natsu grinned, punching his palm. Lucy didn't want to admit it, but she agreed. Excluding S-class and SS-class jobs, Team Natsu could take up about any job, though things usually went a little less than smoothly.
"No, it wouldn't be too difficult for you guys."
Lucy frowned. "Then?"
"It's kind of reserved."
"Huh?" Natsu said. "For who?"
As if to answer him, a voice spoke, "Excuse me?"
Mirajane smiled. "And there she is."
Lucy, Natsu, Happy and Mirajane, the only people in the guildhall turned to the doorway.
Striding hurriedly towards the bar was a girl around Lucy's age. Her white-blonde hair was curled into a bun with tiny braids woven at the sides, and she wore a cloak over a dark teal dress.
Up close, Lucy noted how pretty she was, with bright summer-sky eyes and a pert little nose.
"Is this Fairy Tail?" the girl inquired softly, averting their gazes.
You should ask that kind of stuff before you come in, Lucy thought, though not unkindly.
"Yes, I'm Mirajane. You must be Elsa."
"What, Erza?" Natsu said, the funniest expression on his face; a cross between concern and disbelief.
"Elsa," Mirajane corrected. "Elsa, this is Natsu Dragneel, and the girl behind him is Lucy Heartfilia."
"I'm Happy!" Happy piped up, earning a shy smile from Elsa.
"Elsa Sagefree," the girl bowed. "Nice to meet you."
Sagefree? The name rang a bell, but Lucy couldn't quite place why.
Before she could probe further, Mirajane was at Elsa's side. "Let's go see Master."
The trio at the bar watched wordlessly, before the two girls were gone from their line of sight.
"I wonder what magic she uses," Happy said.
"She was wearing blue," Natsu said. "Maybe water?"
"What do her clothes have anything to do with her magic? Besides, she was wearing teal," Lucy pointed out.
"Maybe she's a Fire Mage then. Or a Dragon Slayer." Natsu looked excited.
"She could be a fish Mage!" Happy said.
"Happy, I don't think fish magic exists," Lucy said, despite knowing full well he would not listen. True enough, as she sipped her nearly-forgotten drink, the Exceed proceeded to explain the mysterious art of fish magic.
~.~
Elsa had been expecting plenty of strangeness to enter her life the moment she had sent her guild application, but she certainly hadn't expected two Fairy Tail mages to actually offer to help her with her new house.
Come to think of it, she wasn't exactly expecting a giant axe-wielding cow to be lifting her furniture around either.
Shortly after Elsa had become an official member of Fairy Tail, she and Mirajane had headed back to the bar, where Natsu, Lucy and Happy greeted them with sheepish smiles. In Natsu's hands was a poster, which he handed to Elsa.
Elsa's blood had run cold as her eyes scanned the poster: a job Mirajane had selected for her. The reward was impressive, a hefty six million jewel, but the job itself...
"Wow, Elsa," Happy had exclaimed. "Are you that strong that you can defeat a whole gang of bandits by yourself?"
Elsa had stared at him in disbelief. Did she appear to be strong, because she was definitely far from it. Her own control over her magic was still shaky at best; she had to wear special gloves just to avoid from causing an 'accident'.
Could she handle a bandit? No, definitely no. A whole gang of them, probably armed to the teeth with guns and swords and exploding firespears? She had a better chance at expecting wings to sprout from her back.
"You don't have to take the job if you don't want to," Mirajane had said, but Elsa had shook her head.
If this was a job Mirajane thought she could do, Elsa would trust her judgement. But-
"Why don't we help you?" Natsu had suddenly asked, interrupting her worries.
This had taken her by surprise. "Really?"
"Why not?" Lucy had said. "We've been through worse."
It took every bit of self-control for Elsa not to gape at them. How could they talk about confronting a gang of bandits so casually?
"The reward will be less though,"Mirajane told Elsa.
But Elsa didn't mind. She had been secretly ecstatic when Happy suggested they wait for the other members of what was known in the guild as 'Team Natsu' to arrive. There was, after all, safety in numbers.
Then, Mirajane had proposed Natsu, Lucy and Happy show her around Magnolia. Which had lead to the talking cow, Taurus, one of Lucy's Celestial Spirits
"Where do you want that, Elsa?" Lucy said, sitting cross-legged on the couch behind her. Taurus was holding up a worn armchair.
"Bedroom please."
"Yes, nice body!" Taurus said and stomped up the stairs so hard the stairs seemed to creaking in protest.
"By nice body-" Elsa spun around to face Lucy, "does he mean you or me?"
"Me." She seemed embarrassed. "He's somewhat of a pervert."
"I see," she said, not knowing what else to say, and plopped herself beside Lucy.
Natsu and Happy had been sent grocery shopping following a bad incident where the fire mage accidentally ignited a chest of drawers. Needless to say, Elsa had not been proud of the shrieking involved.
"Mira did a good job."
Elsa was confused for a moment, then she was aware Lucy was staring at her right shoulder. She touched the electric blue emblem. "Yes."
"You two seemed familiar with each other. Did you know her before this?"
"I suppose you could say that; we're sort of pen-pals. Well, not quite pen-pals. She was the one who replied to my application guild form, and all my queries about-" She smiled fondly, "completely ridiculous things. I was terrified when I first considered joining Fairy Tail, because I'd never been in a guild before and I was still a beginner when it came to magic. But Mirajane was always so friendly in her letters."
"She is. Friendly, I mean. She's the nicest person in the guild, but when she gets mad-"
"She becomes a really cool devil, right?"
Lucy's smile disappeared. "How did you know?"
Elsa paused, then stared into her lap. "You'll laugh at me if I tell you."
"Why?"
"Because it's also the reason why I joined the guild. You'll definitely laugh at me."
"I wouldn't!" Her expression was dead serious. "The boys might, but I would never."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Elsa inhaled deeply. "I watched you guys in the Grand Magic Games. "
Instantly, Lucy stiffened, and Elsa thought she was holding back a giggle. Already Elsa felt mortified, imagining if the entire guild discovered a fangirl had entered their midst.
To Elsa's shock, Lucy buried her face in her hands. "Oh, God..."
"Lucy?"
"I must have looked so lame, right? I didn't even win any of my fights. "
"Huh?"
"I can't believe you saw that," Lucy continued moaning. "This is so humiliating."
"Not at all!" Elsa hastily assured her. "I mean, it's true you didn't win, but you never gave up. You gave it your all for the sake of your guild and your friends. Fairy Tail did win no. 1 in the Games, but that wasn't why I chose this guild. It's because your determination, your spirit-" She paused. "They inspired me."
"Whoa." Elsa and Lucy lifted their gazes to see Natsu and Happy walk in, carrying groceries. Natsu was grinning. "You're Fairy Tail material alright."
"How long have you been standing there?" Lucy said, as heat rose to Elsa's cheeks.
"Around the time you were complaining."
"Lucy's whiny, isn't she, Elsa?" Happy said.
"Shut up. And Natsu, don't tease her."
"I'm not!" he sang from the kitchen.
"Nice body!" All of a sudden, Taurus was at the bottom of the staircase. "Any more?"
"Nope," Lucy said, a little red. She held up a gold key. "Gate of the Bull, I close thee!" With a bow, Taurus vanished in a wave of golden light.
"That ruined the mood," Happy said, as Natsu re-enetered the living room.
"What mood?" Natsu said, but the blue cat ignored him and flew to Elsa, landing neatly in her lap.
"Elsa, Elsa, can I ask you something?" he purred.
Weak to feline affection, Elsa did not hesitate in answering, "What is it, Happy?"
"What's your magic?"
Speech left Elsa, for it was the first time anyone had ever asked her that question.
"Now that you mention it-" Natsu folded his arms across his chest. "What is your magic, Elsa?"
"Erm..."
"Come on, Elsa," Lucy urged. "It can't be that bad."
"It's n-not. It's just-" She swallowed, "I still haven't mastered it yet. I was actually hoping someone at the guild could teach me before I showed anyone."
"But how can anyone teach you if they don't even know what your magic is?" Lucy said. That was a valid point.
"Please, Elsa," Happy said. She really was susceptible to this adorable kitty.
"OK." With trembling fingers, Elsa pulled off her left glove. The entire room seemed to hold their breath as she raised her hand.
"Wow," Happy squeaked, while a frozen rose bloomed in the middle of her palm. Elsa smiled at the wonder in his eyes, reminding her of the wonder that was once in her sister's. So far, so good-
"Oh, no." Frost had started forming on her hair and Happy's wings. She quickly tugged the glove back on. "Sorry." She dusted the specks off the cat. Natsu came over and produced a tiny flame on his fingertip, melting the ice in her hair. "Sorry," she muttered again.
"Why are you apologizing?" Natsu looked puzzled. "It's just a little ice-"
"It's not!" Elsa felt like tugging her hair and screaming. She hated it when her magic went out of bounds. "I'm always doing this; the ice always gets out of control."
"Is that why you wear those gloves?" Lucy inquired.
"Yes. The gloves-" A memory flashed through Elsa's mind of her sister, a lock of her brown hair turning snowy white, "stop me from hurting people. They curb the magic."
Silence reigned in the air for a few moments, before Lucy tucked a loose strand of Elsa's hair behind her hair.
"Ice Make magic, right?" Lucy said, smiling gently.
"Ice, Make?"
"Like Gray's," Natsu said.
"Like-" Elsa's eyes widened. "You mean..."
"We have a friend who uses a magic just like yours," Lucy finished. "Better yet, he's coming with us on your first job."
Look forward to the next update! :)